In recent years, with the progress in the reduction in size and weight of cameras, it has become common that a photographer shoots video while supporting a camera with hands. Also, so-called “hands-free” image capturing has been enjoyed whereby, for shooting video, a photographer attaches a camera to the eyeglasses, clothing, or hat of the photographer, instead of supporting the camera with hands. When the video is shot using such a compact camera attached to the eyeglasses, clothing, or hat of the photographer, certain problems have become apparent which were not even problematic in the case of a conventional large heavy camera. One of the problems is video jitter existing in the shot video. When a camera is smaller and lighter, that is, when the degree of flexibility in image capturing for a photographer is higher, this video jitter becomes more prominent. To address this problem, techniques to prevent or correct video jitter have been conventionally developed.
Examples of the conventional techniques to prevent or correct video jitter include electronic image stabilizing systems and optical image stabilizing systems. Some of these electronic image stabilizing systems and optical image stabilizing systems detect jitter caused during an image capturing, using various sensors such as an acceleration sensor, a gyroscopic sensor, and a tilt sensor so as to improve the performance in preventing or correcting the video jitter (see Patent Reference 1, for example). An image stabilizing device disclosed in Patent Reference 1 obtains information regarding a tendency of jitter using a tilt sensor. Using the obtained information regarding the tendency of jitter, this image stabilizing device makes an image search (matching) in order to detect the amount of jitter and the direction of jitter. As a result, the image stabilizing device disclosed in Patent Reference 1 can reduce the amount of calculation necessary to detect the amount of jitter and the direction of jitter.
Moreover, a technique of reducing video jitter by more positively using jitter information obtained from a sensor has been proposed (see Patent Reference 2). An image stabilizing device disclosed in Patent Reference 2 predicts jitter movement to be caused at the moment of image capturing, by learning sensor data received in chronological order. Using the information of the predicted jitter movement, this image stabilizing device reduces the jitter by driving a jitter correction lens in such a manner as to counteract the jitter movement. As a result, the image stabilizing device disclosed in Patent Reference 2 can reduce the jitter corresponding to the characteristics of the actual shake caused by hand movements (due to habits of a photographer or a weight balance of interchangeable lenses attached to the camera body, for instance).    Patent Reference 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-343652    Patent Reference 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-20547